These Easy Reuben Egg Rolls with homemade Bacon Beer Sauerkraut are a great party appetizer! Loaded with corned beef, cheese, and kraut, you can deep fry them, or use your air fryer!
JUMP TO RECIPEA crispy, bite-sized version of the beloved classic sandwich, these Easy Reuben Egg Rolls with my homemade Bacon Beer Sauerkraut are by far my most requested recipe from friends and family when I ask “what can I bring?” to a party.
Loaded with corned beef, tangy kraut, melty Swiss cheese, and fried (or air fried) to golden brown perfection- these Reuben Egg Rolls are the perfect snack for a party or game day! This recipe is also the perfect way to use up leftover corned beef from a St. Patrick's Day feast, but you can also use corned beef from your local deli to make things easy!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Extra flavor from the Beer and Bacon Sauerkraut. These tasty egg rolls are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, using my easy Homemade Beer Bacon Sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is simmered with bacon, beer, and caraway seeds for extra depth of flavor, which pairs perfectly with the corned beef and cheese. The caraway seeds add that tasty rye bread flavor that really makes these taste like a Reuben sandwich!
Prep-ahead friendly. You can make the corned beef ahead, use leftovers, or deli corned beef for this recipe! The sauerkraut can also be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble!
Fry or deep fry! You can make these Reuben Egg Rolls in a deep fryer, cast iron skillet shallow fry, or in your air fryer!
Great for using leftovers! if you made a large corned beef for St. Patrick's Day, and are looking for a fun and tasty way to use up the leftovers, this recipe is for you!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Corned beef. You can easily make your own by simmering in a pot, and it's a bit more flavorful than deli style corned beef, and usually significantly cheaper. If you like, you can also use prepared deli corned beef. When I get the corned beef from my local deli, I usually ask them to give me thick sliced corned beef so it has a bit more substance in the egg rolls.
Sauerkraut. I love my Beer, Bacon and Caraway Sauerkraut recipe for these egg rolls, since it adds a great smokiness and depth of flavor from simmering the sauerkraut with bacon, beer, and caraway seeds. If you want to make these in a time crunch, you can use any prepared sauerkraut for these- just be sure to wring out the sauerkraut of any excess liquid.
Grated Swiss cheese. I like to grate mine by hand with a box grater or food processor, rather than use pre-shredded cheese, which contains stabilizers that effect the cheese's texture. Some other cheese you could use in place of the Swiss are provolone or mozzarella cheese!
Egg roll wrappers. I prefer the ones from the Asian grocer, since they are usually more sturdy, but any egg roll wrappers are good for this recipe! If using Nasoya brand, you may want to go easy on filing them, as they are vegan, and a bit fragile and delicate. Another great grocery store option is Twin Dragon brand.
A bottle of your favorite Russian or Thousand Island dressing. I prefer Ken's dressing for these!
Tips and Variations
Do not overfill! Overfilling the egg rolls can cause them to burst when frying. Keep the filling generous, but not so much that you have difficulty rolling and sealing the egg rolls.
Moisten your fingers to seal. Keep a bowl of cold water handy to help seal the egg rolls as you roll. A little goes a long way!
Play with the ingredients! Try using pastrami instead of corned beef, or try a different cheese like provolone! You could also use Turkey to make a Rachel egg roll! If you have St. Patrick's day leftovers, you could also do a version with some leftover cabbage and potatoes, and make them Irish egg rolls!
Air Fryer vs. Deep Fryer
While in my opinion, nothing beats the flavor of a classically deep fried egg roll, with its ultra-crispy exterior, these egg rolls also do very well in the air fryer!
If you want to mimic that crispness you get from classic frying, without the mess and saturated fat, give the egg rolls a generous spray of cooking spray, or brush lightly with neutral oil prior to air frying. The light coating of oil will help the egg rolls brown nicely, and give them a crisper exterior.
Sauce Variations
If you aren't a fan of Russian or Thousand Island dressing, honey mustard also makes a great dip option! If you want to add a little kick to them, you could whip up an easy batch of my Sriracha aioli for dipping!
Troubleshooting
Prevent tearing. To prevent egg roll wrappers from tearing, avoid overfilling them, be gentle when rolling, and leave them sit on the counter to come to room temperate for 10-15 minutes prior to filling and rolling the egg rolls.
Make a tight seal. Be sure to firmly wrap the egg rolls, and make sure all ends are sealed. using slightly moistened fingers to seal works great for ensuring they don't open up when frying.
How to Make Reuben Egg Rolls
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make your corned beef and sauerkraut. Prepare your corned beef and sauerkraut a bit ahead of time to allow them to cool to be easier to handle.
Prep everything for the egg rolls. Shred or chop your corned beef, drain your sauerkraut of excess liquid, and shred your cheese, then mx well in a large bowl util well combined.
Fill and roll. Set up a work station with your filling, egg roll wrappers, and a small bowl of water. Fill an roll each egg roll, an set aside on a baking sheet until all egg rolls are filled and ready to go.
Fry or air fry. Once all your egg rolls are ready to go, prepare your frying method (pan, deep fryer or air fryer) and fry until golden brown!
Easy Reuben Egg Rolls with Bacon Beer Sauerkraut
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet, deep fryer, or air fryer
Ingredients
- 4 lbs corned beef, cut into small pieces, or shredded , (cooked homemade, or deli)
- 4 cups sauerkraut, (Beer Bacon Kraut recipe included in directions)
- 2 8 oz blocks Swiss cheese, grated
- 1 lb egg roll wrappers, (best option: Asian Grocery store)
- 1 bottle of your favorite Russian or Thousand Island dressing , (I use Ken’s)
- neutral cooking oil, such as peanut oil or canola oil
Instructions
- If cooking the corned beef and shredding: Remove Corned beef from packaging and place in a large saucepan or deep sauté pan. Cover most of the way with water and pour spice mixture over top of meat. Simmer on low heat for 3 hours, flipping once. After Corned beef has simmered for full 3 hours, remove and allow to cool enough to be handled. With a sharp knife, remove any excess fat and cut Corned Beef into small 1-2 inch pieces and grind in a food processor, or shred with 2 forks. If making Bacon Beer Sauerkraut: follow this recipe, then cool and remove excess liquid. Making the egg rolls: 1. Add sauerkraut (wring out excess liquid with your hands, or squeeze in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to get sauerkraut as dry as possible) and shredded swiss cheese to the mixing bowl with the shredded or chopped Corned Beef, and stir all ingredients until well combined. 2. Set up a large cutting board with egg roll wrappers and a small bowl of water. 3. Add a generous amount of filling to the center of each egg roll wrapper, turned on an angle to make a diamond shape. Moisten the outer edges of the egg roll wrapper with water lightly with your fingers, and fold the bottom corner over the filling. Next fold the right corner in and press to seal, then fold the left corner in and press to seal, and roll forward until top corner is pressed onto egg roll and contents are securely wrapped and sealed. Repeat until all wrappers are filled and sealed. Remove the rolled eggrolls to a large cookie sheet or tray as you go. 4. Heat about 2-3 inches of canola oil in a wide, deep frying pan or 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until shimmering. Alternatively, fill your deep fryer and heat to 375 degrees f. 5. While oil is heating up, place a wire rack set over a cookie sheet nearby for draining the finished egg rolls. 6. Using tongs, carefully place egg rolls into hot oil in small batches (careful not to overcrowd pan) and fry 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once. When golden and crispy, remove to wire rack and allow to cool (I would not recommend paper towels here, as end result may be soggy). Continue until all egg rolls are fried. 7. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, slice on a bias if desired, and serve with your favorite Russian or Thousand Island dressing.If making the Reuben egg rolls in the air fryer:Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees. Spray liberally on all sides with a neutral cooking spray, such as canola. Cook egg rolls for 3-4 minutes a side until crispy, checking on them every so often to ensure they are evenly browning.
Storage
If you have leftover egg rolls, you can store them in an airtight container for a few days in the refrigerator, and then briefly warm them through to reheat in an air fryer, oven, or toaster oven.
Freezing the egg rolls
These egg rolls also freeze beautifully! If freezing, do not fry first- just assemble them and store in airtight freezer bags. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap or wax paper, and store in a large freezer bag. The egg rolls keep for up to 3 months in the freezer!
Reheating from frozen
To reheat from frozen, you can fry them in oil right from the freezer! To air fry, spray with cooking oil, and air fry at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yes! you can make the corned beef and sauerkraut a few days ahead of time, as well as pre-shred the cheese. This way when you're ready to assemble, all you need to do is mix everything together, roll, and fry!
Can I use deli corned beef?
Yes! I have actually done this in the past and it turned out great. I prefer to ask my butcher to cut the amount whole so that I can still shred in the food processor and retain the same texture, or I ask them for thick sliced, so it holds some texture in the filling.
Can I use a point cut corned beef instead of a flat cut?
I would try and avoid it if you can. The point cut is a much fattier cut, and we’re really looking for nice shreds of lean, delicious Corned Beef here.
What kind of oil should I use for frying?
Neutral cooking oil, such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or canola oil. If using an air fryer, you can spray the egg rolls with a bit of cooking spray prior to air frying.
Can I make a smaller batch of egg rolls?
Yes! you can easily scale this recipe down to make a much smaller batch! Juts cut the ingredients in half to make less!
Looking for more recipe inspiration?
Italian Egg Rolls with Prosciutto
Philly Cheesesteak Jalapeno Poppers
Salami Cheesesteak Wontons with Tangy Special Sauce
© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.
Marcus says
The star of the show at any party or tailgate. I'm getting invites to parties by people I barely know in the hopes that I make & bring these.